Are the Socs and Greasers really that different? Why? Why not?

The socs and greasers aren’t really that different. Even though things don’t go so well for the lower class members, greasers, but as Cherry said on page 35 “Things are rough all over.” Everybody in every social class has different problems, no group will ever be perfect. Even the socs have problems that are not mentioned in the book. In addition, Ponyboy learned from Cherry that socs aren’t that cold and unemotional. Both groups can see the same sunset and appreciate the beauty of it.

Are there any connections you can make to any of the characters and their situation?

A situation I can relate to in this book is how Ponyboy is only close to one of his siblings, and doesn’t really communicate with the eldest one. In my family the person who I talk to 99 percent of the time is Julia. She is also the one who I can turn to in my family like Ponyboy can to Sodapop. We will stick up for each other in certain situations, just like Sodapop does for Ponyboy. My eldest sister Katherine kind of lives in her own world. Her friends always come over to our house, so we don’t speak to each other much. We don’t really get into fights much but when we do the argument is pretty intense. This is really similar to Darry and Ponyboy’s relationship, there isn’t much communication between them.

Why do you think Johnny killed Bob?

I think Johnny killed Bob because he wanted to protect Ponyboy. Johnny has been in this situation before and knows how terrifying it can be, so he wanted to protect his friend from that experience. Another possible reason is revenge, but knowing Johnny and his innocent personality I don’t think he did it out of revenge.

What could have been some alternatives?

I think Johnny could have used the butt of the switchblade or his elbow and hit Bob’s head to knock him out. Assault has much less of a consequence than murder, and I think the other socs would have ran away too. The other option would be for Johnny to run away and find the cops. It’s a bit more safe and he could be teased about it, but having the cops on the soc’s back instead of theirs is a gift in itself.

What do you think Ponyboy and Jonny’s situation prompted Ponyboy’s recitation of  ‘Nothing Good Can Stay?’

I think this poem’s meaning nothing good can stay refers to the night when Ponyboy and Johnny were having a good time picking up Cherry and Marcia. Then something bad happened. The same thing happened when they escaped to the church, nobody caught them and all they did was eat, sleep, talk, read and smoke.  I think this poem is foreshadowing that something bad will happen soon, because nothing good or peaceful will stay. I think its foreshadowing that sooner or later they have to face reality and accept the consequences of murdering Bob.

Who is innocent? Who has experience?

I think Johnny and Ponyboy are innocent because they murdered someone out of self defence. Bob could have killed Ponyboy and end up in the same position that Johnny is in. In addition, both Johnny and Ponyboy have been beat up by Bob and his gang so I feel that Bob sort of deserved it. Dally Winston has more experience than both them in terms of committing crimes. Dally probably has experience with running from the cops, so he can help Johnny and Ponyboy and also give them tips on how to survive.

What are the differences between Cherry the Soc and Cherry the Dreamer?

While Cherry the Soc is in the high-class and luxury members,  she doesn’t really hate greasers.  Unlike Cherry the Dreamer, Cherry the Soc cares about her reputation. For example even though Cherry is friends with Johnny, she told him not to talk to her during school because she didn’t want anybody to think they were friends. While Cherry the Dreamer is more open, doesn’t care about her reputation and hated violence. Cherry the Dreamer is more like a greaser in a sense because in the book greasers tend to be more open to meeting new people who are different. For example, Johnny and Ponyboy were really nice to Maria and Cherry even though they were Socs. Also Cherry the Dreamer doesn’t care about her reputation because she is becoming a spy for the greasers, and there is a chance she might get caught.

Are Ponyboy, Johnny and Darry heros?

I think in that chapter they are heros because they put other people’s lives before theirs. It was extremely selfless, and because they saved all five kids all of them got hurt. Risking their own life is what the famous super heros like super man do, and it determines whether Ponyboy and his friends are heros or not.

How do we know Darry truly cares for Ponyboy?

We know Darry truly cares for Ponyboy because it’s the first time he ever showed extreme emotion. Darry didn’t even cry when his parents died which is a huge deal because he was so close to his dad.  Then when Ponyboy ran away and their family reunited, Darry cried. This is very important evidence that Ponyboy’s running away really took a huge toll on Darry.

Write about what you understood about Cherry’s line “I could fall in love with Dally Winston. I hope I never see him again, or I will.”

I understand that Dally has some characteristics and traits that Cherry is attracted to. Or maybe she is attracted to dangerous people/men. Her ex boyfriend (Bob) was dangerous whom she was once attracted to, and Dally is very similar to Bob in which he’s tough and dangerous. Cherry knew that if she spent more time around Dally she would fall in love with him. She knew that if she ever dated Dally, being a high class person and dating a man who has been to jail several times will be frowned upon.